Jonjo Shelvey: Making a step up in class

“I’ve been stuck in the reserves at my club and I want to make the step up to the first team. What advice can you give me?”
Anton James, via email

More after the break

Jonjo Shelvey says:

“You’ve got to be fearless and have confidence in your ability. You can’t be shy around the senior players – you’ve got to go and make a name for yourself.

You have to be yourself out on the pitch. There are going to be moments where the senior players will get the better of you in training, but you have to accept that, get on with the game and try to get your own back – not by fouling them or being cocky, but by being confident and giving 100 per cent.

If you’re good enough and have the belief, your ability will shine through. The first thing I do after training is call my dad. He’ll ask how I did and he’s always my biggest critic.

After a bad training session you’ve got to pick yourself up. You’re always going to have a bad session now and then, but it’s about how you bounce back.”